SOUTHLAND – (INT) – Eight people, including three from the Inland Empire, were arrested Tuesday on a federal grand jury indictment charging them with creating nonexistent businesses and then claiming more than $1.1 million in unemployment benefits for purported employees of those fake businesses.

The indictment alleges a three-year conspiracy to cheat the state’s unemployment insurance program through the creation of bogus cleaning services and boutique stores, sometimes using the names of prison inmates as phony employees with which to collect the benefits.

Among those name in the indictment are:
• Catrina Gipson, 44, of Moreno Valley
• Raschell Taylor, 30, of San Bernardino
• Bianka Logie, 45, of Moreno Valley
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From February 2013 until July 2016, the defendants allegedly registered fake businesses that included Latasha’s Devining Cleaning Service, Charm Boutique, and Infinite Cleaning Service, according to the indictment. Three of the defendants allegedly opened and maintained post office boxes responsible for receiving the fake businesses’ mail.

Story Date: July 11, 2020